Michael Finewax

The Week Ahead

Hockey Day in America

The Flyers are on the road for all four games this week. While they do not play three games in four nights, they do play two back-to-back games so they will be the tired team on Tuesday when they are in Winnipeg after playing the Maple Leafs Monday and then on Saturday the Flyers will be in Montreal and tired, since they are in New Jersey Friday. Scott Hartnell had the cast removed from his broken foot on Thursday and could begin skating this week. He has been out two-and-a-half weeks and was slated to miss four-eight weeks so his return is still unknown at this time. Wayne Simmonds could be back this week after suffering a concussion. Kimmo Timonen inked a one-year extension.

PHOENIX

Games this week

@ Colorado, @ Nashville, vs. Columbus

Notes

The Coyotes are the rested team when they face Columbus Saturday as the Blue Jackets are in Los Angeles Friday. David Rundblad is getting a lot of air mileage points as he keeps getting sent down to the minors in Portland, Maine and being recalled. He has been sent down three times and recalled twice and the season is not even three weeks old. Mike Smith is having his troubles in the early going with a 2-3-1 record to go with a 3.43 GAA and a .863 save percentage. The Coyotes will need a lot better performance from their star goalie of a year ago, if they hope to make any noise in the Western Conference. Keith Yandle has a goal and six points in 11 games and 22 penalty minutes.

PITTSBURGH

Games this week

vs. Ottawa, @ Winnipeg, @ Buffalo

Notes

The Penguins are rested on Wednesday when they host Ottawa who play the Sabres Tuesday. After four points in his first seven games, Chris Kunitz has been white-hot of late with five goals and five assists in his last four games. Of course, a four-goal game does not hurt. Kris Letang missed Thursday’s game with a lower body injury. Consider him day-to-day for now. Marc-Andre Fleury had a so-so start to the season so Tomas Vokoun had a chance to strut his stuff in goal. Fleury has come back with a vengeance, giving the Penguins outstanding goaltending which will bode well for the team. Look for Vokoun to possibly get 18-20 starts barring injuries. Sidney Crosby has 10 points in his last four games including a trio of three point games.

ST. LOUIS

Games this week

vs. Los Angeles, @ Detroit, @ Calgary, @ Vancouver

Notes

The Blues are rested Monday when they host Los Angeles with the Kings playing in Detroit on Sunday. Brian Elliott has not fared well since Jaroslav Halak went down on the weekend as he has given up nine goals in 40 shots over the last two games. Halak was put on injured reserve with a groin injury but could be back this week as he was on the ice Thursday albeit not facing any shots. Wade Redden played in his 1,000th game of his NHL career on Thursday. He has played in six games this season after spending the last two seasons in the minors as the Rangers buried his hefty contract. Vladimir Tarasenko was named the NHL’s rookie of the month after scoring five goals and nine points in seven January games.

SAN JOSE

Games this week

@ Columbus, @ Nashville, @ Chicago

Notes

The Sharks will be rested on Monday when they play in Columbus as the Blue Jackets are hosting the Oilers on Sunday. They are tired Tuesday when they take on the rested Predators. After red-hot starts, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau have been held pointless in their last four games. Coach Todd McLellan moved Marleau to the second line in an effort to get him going. After picking up four points in four games, Martin Havlat has only one point in his last six. Ryane Clowe has yet to score this season but does have five assists and a league-leading 56 penalty minutes.

TAMPA BAY

Games this week

vs. Montreal, vs. Washington, @ Florida

Notes

Vincent Lecavalier has four goals and 11 points this season but is quite feisty when he goes against the Flyers as he has had two fights and 12 of his 14 penalty minutes against Philadelphia. The Lightning only face Philly once more this season, on March 18, so look for Lecavalier to pick up some minutes on that night. Anders Lindback has been playing well for the most part and is 5-3 with a 2.89 GAA and a .906 save percentage but he has lost his last two starts. B.J. Crombeen leads the Lightning with 30 penalty minutes. Martin St. Louis has 13 assists and 16 points in 10 games and even at the age of 37, he continues to produce at an All-Star pace.

TORONTO

Games this week

vs. Philadelphia, @Carolina, vs. Ottawa

Notes

Phil Kessel finally scored on Thursday and it was his first goal in 11 games. He leads the NHL in shots on goal with 46. James Reimer has put his injury-plagued sophomore season behind him and is now 4-3 with a 2.61 GAA and a .918 save percentage. He started the season on the bench but is now the number one goalie. Matt Frattin has been great since a short stint in the minors and has six goals and eight points in eight games. He is playing on the third line with Nazem Kadri but the Maple Leafs are going with a top-nine and not a top-six so do not worry that he is on the third line. The Maple Leafs have been rewarded early in dealing for James van Riemsdyk as he has six goals and has moved to the top line. The Maple Leafs are really missing Carl Gunnarsson and Jake Gardiner on the blueline as both are very good at making the first pass, something that is now lacking on the Toronto defense.

VANCOUVER

Games this week

vs. Minnesota, vs. Dallas, vs. St. Louis

Notes

The Canucks are rested on Tuesday as they face a tired Minnesota team who are in Calgary the previous night. The Canucks continue to have a goaltending problem but this is a good one as both Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider have been very good. Schneider’s agent Mike Liut came out and said that the goaltending situation needs to reach a resolution, which likely meant that he wanted Luongo to be dealt. It was nice to see that Chris Tanev scored the winner on Monday as it was his first NHL goal in 63 career games. Ryan Kesler (shoulder/wrist) could be closer to returning than most thought. Coach Alain Vigneault thinks that he may only need a couple of practices before he is ready to go and Kesler is currently accompanying the Canucks on their road trip. Alexander Edler is tied for the Canucks scoring lead with Daniel Sedin at eight points.

WASHINGTON

Games this week

@ Florida, @ Tampa Bay, @ New York Rangers

Notes

The best thing the Capitals did in the off-season (although it may eventually be drafting Filip Forsberg), was the trade in which they acquired Mike Ribeiro from Dallas. He has four goals and 13 points including goals in his last three games. Ribeiro is one of only 23 NHL players who have averaged .8 points per game in each of the last three years. That stat is courtesy of Brian Rosenbaum. The Capitals are the worst team in the NHL thus far and were not helped out by the shortened training camp as coach Adam Oates hasn’t have enough time to put in his system. Alex Ovechkin is starting to heat up with four points in his last three games.

WINNIPEG

Games this week

vs. Philadelphia, vs. Pittsburgh, vs. Boston

Notes

The Jets will be rested on Tuesday when they face the Flyers who are in Toronto Monday. Look for defensemen Dustin Byfuglien (lower body) and Zach Bogosian (wrist) to return to the Winnipeg lineup this week and that will be welcome news for the Jets netminders. Defenseman Zach Redmond has made the most of the injuries to Byfuglien and Bogosian as he has a goal and two assists in his last two games for the first points in his NHL career. Goaltender Ondrej Pavelec continues to struggle as he has given up 19 goals in his last five games (1-4), stopping only 91 of 110 shots.

It’s Hockey Day in America on Sunday February 17 but more importantly for USA Hockey, it will be Hockey weekend in America from February 15-17 in which there will be hockey related festivities all over the country.

NBC will be showing a doubleheader with Pittsburgh traveling to Buffalo for a 12:30 ET start. The Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings will play the 9-0-2 Chicago Blackhawks at 3:30 ET.

The final game of the day will be shown on the NBC Sports Network as the Washington Capitals will play the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden starting at 6:00 ET.

By the way, Patrick Kane has been outstanding this season as he is second in NHL scoring with 18 points, including eight goals.

It will be nine hours of hockey! What a way to celebrate.

Don’t forget to purchase Season Pass by clicking here and while you’re at it, it’s not too late to draft a team and play Yahoo! hockey.

The Ducks are tired this week when they take on the Predators Saturday after playing in Detroit Friday. Viktor Fasth has been the story of the young season as the 30-year-old first time NHLer is 4-0 with an eye-popping .962 save percentage to go with a microscopic 0.98 GAA. Sheldon Souray has proven to be a great off-season pick up early on as he has scored in his last three games and has four goals and seven points in nine games. Cam Fowler suffered an upper body injury on Saturday and was put on the injured reserve list. Saku Koivu leads the team with 11 points.

BOSTON

Games this week

vs. New York Rangers, @ Buffalo, @ Winnipeg

Notes

Tyler Seguin moved to the top line on Wednesday alongside Milan Lucic and David Krejci and responded with a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win over the Canadiens. It appears that his mini-slump may be over. Brad Marchand was injured on Feb. 2 against the Maple Leafs but could return this week. Anton Khudobin has played only once as Tuukka Rask has been outstanding with a 6-1-1 record to go with a 1.96 GAA and a .922 save percentage, including a horrendous start against the Sabres in which he gave up six goals on only 31 shots. Take that game away and his GAA 1.40 would be with a .946 save percentage.

BUFFALO

Games this week

@ Ottawa, vs. Boston, vs. Pittsburgh

Notes

The Sabres are struggling at the faceoff draw with a league-low 41.3 percentage efficiency heading into Thursday’s action. Steve Ott leads the team at 48.8 percent. Pretty sad as Buffalo is 1-6-1 in their last eight. Christian Ehrhoff has missed the last two games with a muscle strain. Tyler Ennis has three goals and five points in his last six games. The Sabres terrible start has not affected Thomas Vanek who was the player of the week. He leads the NHL in scoring with 21 points. Cody McCormick missed the first seven games of the season with a finger injury but has now returned to give the Sabres an extra tough guy in the lineup.

CALGARY

Games this week

vs. Minnesota, vs. Dallas, vs. St. Louis, @ Dallas

Notes

The Flames are rested Wednesday when they host the Stars who are in Edmonton Tuesday. Calgary takes on the Stars twice this week so tempers could flare. Expect to see Steve Begin and Tim Jackman add to their penalty minute totals. Miikka Kiprusoff (lower body) was injured on Tuesday, giving Leland Irving the chance to play between the pipes. Jarome Iginla finally got off the schneid and scored his first goal in the seventh game of the season. Alex Tanguay is off to a good start with seven points in seven games. Sven Baertschi is week-to-week and has been placed on injured reserve after a hip injury.

CAROLINA

Games this week

@ New York Islanders, @ New Jersey, vs. Toronto

Notes

The Hurricanes play three games in four nights. Expect to see Cam Ward play twice with Dan Ellis getting one start. Carolina do not play after Thursday this week. Eric Staal has seven goals in eight games while his brother Jordan finally picked up his first in a Carolina uniform on Monday against Toronto. Tuomo Ruutu is starting to rehab after hip surgery but is still likely out for at least the regular season. Tim Gleason has only one point this season but has 24 penalty minutes, giving him some fantasy value. Zac Dalpe is back in the minors after picking up two assists in six games.

CHICAGO

Games this week

vs. Anaheim, vs. San Jose, vs. Los Angeles

NotesThe Blackhawks start a seven game home stand after playing 10 of the first 12 on the road. Daniel Carcillo will start to skate after suffering a lower body injury in the first game of the season. He is still two weeks away from returning to action but is likely to see top-six minutes. Brandon Saad scored his first goal of his career, playing alongside Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa. The Blackhawks are getting outstanding goaltending from both Corey Crawford and Ray Emery. Emery stole a game on Saturday as the Blackhawks beat the Flames 3-2 in a shootout despite being outshot 47-19. Second line center Dave Bolland is due back from a leg injury.

COLORADO

Games this week

vs. Phoenix, @ Minnesota, @ Edmonton

Notes

The Avalanche are 12th in the Western Conference and their chances to do well this season aren’t being helped by absences of Gabriel Landeskog (head), Steve Downie (torn ACL) and Ryan O'Reilly (restricted free agent). Matt Duchene is off to a very good start with two goals and nine points in 10 games for the offensively challenged Avs. If you’re looking for penalty minutes, Cody McLeod, Patrick Bordeleau and Ryan O'Byrne are likely available in your pools. Semyon Varlamov has started in nine of the Avs first ten games and his peripherals are good with a 2.55 GAA and a .910 save percentage. Unfortunately, he is 3-6-0.

COLUMBUS

Games this week

vs. San Jose, @ Los Angeles, @ Phoenix

Notes

The Blue Jackets are the tired team twice this week, first on Monday when they host the Sharks after playing the Oilers on Sunday and then on Saturday when they travel to Phoenix after playing in Los Angeles Friday. The Blue Jackets were pleased with the play of Ryan Johansen early in the season, but that did not prevent them from sending him to the minors this past week as his play had tailed off of late. Mark Letestu has taken his place on the third line between Matt Calvert and Vaclav Prospal. Look for Cam Atkinson to return to the lineup by Monday, if not earlier.

DALLAS

Games this week

@ Edmonton, @ Calgary, @ Vancouver, vs. Calgary

Notes

The Stars play four times this week including three games in four nights so expect to see Richard Bachman play at least once in place of Kari Lehtonen. Dallas will be tired when they play in Calgary Wednesday after visiting the Oilers in Edmonton the previous night. Dallas play the Flames twice this week and do not be surprised if Eric Nystrom drops his gloves. It was a bit of a surprise to see Alex Goligoski a healthy scratch on Wednesday. Jamie Benn is back. He has five points in his last two games after picking up only one point in his first four games, and should be active in all formats of fantasy hockey.

DETROIT

Games this week

vs. St. Louis, vs. Anaheim, @ Minnesota

Notes

The Red Wings were happy to get Ian White back in the lineup after he missed five games with a leg laceration. Joey MacDonald is due back but the Red Wings needed to give Jimmy Howard a rest and gave a start to Peter Mrazek who stopped 26 of 27 in a 5-1 win over St. Louis Thursday. Henrik Zetterberg is off to a great start with five goals and 14 points in 10 games. Tomas Tatar was recalled and played alongside Pavel Datsyuk and Valtteri Filppula but coach Mike Babcock thinks he will be better served as a bottom six forward. Brendan Smith is out a couple of weeks with a shoulder injury.

EDMONTON

Games this week

vs. Dallas, vs. Colorado

Notes

The Oilers only play twice this week so I suggest benching all your Oilers if you are in pools with weekly moves. Nikolai Khabibulin is now healthy but has yet to get a start as Devan Dubnyk has started all ten. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has yet to find the back of the net although he does have five helpers. Shawn Horcoff broke a knuckle and will be out indefinitely. Ryan Whitney got quite a shock this past week as he was a healthy scratch for the first time in his NHL career. The Sam Gagner, Nail Yakupov and Ales Hemsky line has been Edmonton’s best combining for 12 goals and 26 points with Gagner leading the way with 11 points.

FLORIDA

Games this week

vs. Washington, vs. Montreal, vs. Tampa Bay

Notes

The Panthers play the back end of a home-and-home series with the Capitals so look for Scottie Upshall to possibly engage in fisticuffs. Stephen Weiss scored his first of the season on Thursday as he returned from a groin injury. Jack Skille was thought to be a great prospect when he drafted seventh overall in 2005 but at the age of 25, he is a fringe NHLer at best. He scored his first of the season Thursday and has one point in eight games. Eric Gudbranson injured his shoulder wakeboarding in September and is finally healthy enough to return to action. He played 21:02 minutes on Thursday and should be looked at in keeper leagues as he was drafted third overall in 2010.

LOS ANGELES

Games this week

@ St. Louis, vs. Columbus, @ Chicago

Notes

The Kings are the tired team on Monday when they travel to St. Louis after playing in Detroit Sunday. Los Angeles is the lowest scoring team in the NHL with only 20 goals in nine games and it appears that they are going to be life and death once again to make it into the post-season. After a slow start, Mike Richards had a goal and four assists heading into Thursday’s game and now has 30 penalty minutes in nine games. Simon Gagne lined up with former Flyer teammates Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. After a terrible start to the season, Justin Williams is picking it up with four points in his last three games including seven shots on goal Thursday when the Kings were shutout 3-0. The Kings picked up Florida tough guy Keaton Ellerby on Friday.

MINNESOTA

Games this week

@ Calgary, @ Vancouver, vs. Colorado, vs. Detroit

Notes

The Wild play three games in four nights this week so look for Josh Harding to play at least once in place of Niklas Backstrom. Minnesota will be the tired team Tuesday in Vancouver as they take on the rested Canucks after playing in Edmonton the previous night. The Wild picked up some toughness this past week as they received Michael Rupp from the Rangers in exchange for Darroll Powe and Nick Palmieri. Much hyped rookie Mikael Granlund was a healthy scratch Thursday while Devin Setoguchi was dropped to the fourth line as he has a measly two assists in 10 games. Charlie Coyle was recalled from the minors and is playing as a top-six forward.

MONTREAL

Games this week

@ Tampa Bay, @ Florida, vs. Philadelphia

Notes

The Canadiens are the rested team Saturday when they host the Flyers who are in New Jersey Friday. Tomas Plekanec is off to a very good start with 10 points in his first 10 games after a mediocre 2011-12 season. The amazing Max Pacioretty missed only eight days after undergoing an emergency appendectomy. It was thought he would be out three-four weeks. Colby Armstrong is pointless and minus-one in 10 games. If you picked up P.K. Subban upon his return or drafted him, he has been gold since re-signing with the Habs as he has two goals and four points in four games. Carey Price has been sensational this season with a 6-2 record, a 1.74 GAA and a .936 save percentage.

NASHVILLE

Games this week

vs. San Jose, vs. Phoenix, vs. Anaheim

Notes

The Predators get a big break this week as they are the rested team playing a tired team twice. It gets started Tuesday as the Sharks come to town after playing in Columbus Monday and then take on Anaheim Saturday after the Ducks are in Detroit the previous night. Shea Weber finally picked up his first point of the condensed season on Thursday and now has one assist in 10 games. After a weak start, Pekka Rinne has allowed only three goals in his last four games and now is 4-2-3 with a 1.81 GAA and a .932 save percentage. The Predators are a low scoring team and need to shut it down defensively if they hope to make the post-season. After only one point in his first seven games, Colin Wilson has been hot with five points in his last two games and six in his last three.

NEW JERSEY

Games this week

vs. Carolina, vs. Philadelphia, @ New York Islanders

Notes

The Devils are rested Tuesday when they take on the Hurricanes as Carolina are on Long Island Monday. New Jersey will be the tired team Saturday when they face the Islanders after playing against the Flyers the night before. Dainius Zubrus sat out Thursday’s game with a lower body injury and it allowed Stefan Matteau to play in his sixth game after missing a healthy scratch in his previous four. The Devils obviously decided that he was worth keeping and have now burned a year of his contract towards free agency. Patrik Elias has back-to-back three point games and now has 13 points in 10 contests. David Clarkson is off to an amazing start with seven goals and 13 points. He has four goals and six points on the power play.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Games this week

vs. Carolina, @ New York Rangers, vs. New Jersey

Notes

The Islanders will be rested on Saturday when they host the Devils as New Jersey take on the Flyers Friday. New York dealt for Tim Thomas on Thursday, giving up a conditional second round pick if Thomas ever decides to play for them. It was a salary cap move that gave the Bruins room and bumped the Isles past the cap floor. Joshua Bailey (knee) should finally be healthy enough to return this week after missing the start of the season. Lubomir Visnovsky is ready to return to the lineup after missing the first three weeks tending to family matters in Europe. He is worth picking up in all fantasy pools. Brad Boyes is off to a good start with seven points in 10 games.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Games this week

@ Boston, vs. New York Islanders, vs. Washington

Notes

The Rangers had Ryan Callahan return to the lineup Thursday after missing nine days with a shoulder injury. Brian Boyle is off to a poor start and was a healthy scratch Thursday. JT Miller scored the first two goals of his NHL career in his second game Thursday. Chris Kreider finally scored his first regular season goal in the NHL Tuesday as he had missed five games with an ankle injury. The Rangers sent Michael Rupp to the Wild this past week, acquiring Nick Palmieri who was sent to the minors and Darroll Powe. Stu Bickel is not yet eligible on the wing but the blueliner does have 26 penalty minutes in eight games.

OTTAWA

Games this week

vs. Buffalo, @ Pittsburgh, @ Toronto

Notes

The Senators will be tired on Wednesday when they are in Pittsburgh after hosting the Sabres Tuesday. Craig Anderson is still having an outstanding season with a 6-2-2 record, a 1.50 GAA and a .950 save percentage but he has given up six goals in his last two games on only 49 shots. It goes to show you how great his start really was. Mika Zibanejad is getting a huge break as he is on the top line with Kyle Turris and Daniel Alfredsson. This will give his fantasy value a boost. Erik Karlsson leads the team in goals with five while Turris has 10 points to lead all Senators.

PHILADELPHIA

Games this week

@ Toronto, @ Winnipeg, @ New Jersey, @ Montreal

Notes

The Flyers are on the road for all four games this week. While they do not play three games in four nights, they do play two back-to-back games so they will be the tired team on Tuesday when they are in Winnipeg after playing the Maple Leafs Monday and then on Saturday the Flyers will be in Montreal and tired, since they are in New Jersey Friday. Scott Hartnell had the cast removed from his broken foot on Thursday and could begin skating this week. He has been out two-and-a-half weeks and was slated to miss four-eight weeks so his return is still unknown at this time. Wayne Simmonds could be back this week after suffering a concussion. Kimmo Timonen inked a one-year extension.

PHOENIX

Games this week

@ Colorado, @ Nashville, vs. Columbus

Notes

The Coyotes are the rested team when they face Columbus Saturday as the Blue Jackets are in Los Angeles Friday. David Rundblad is getting a lot of air mileage points as he keeps getting sent down to the minors in Portland, Maine and being recalled. He has been sent down three times and recalled twice and the season is not even three weeks old. Mike Smith is having his troubles in the early going with a 2-3-1 record to go with a 3.43 GAA and a .863 save percentage. The Coyotes will need a lot better performance from their star goalie of a year ago, if they hope to make any noise in the Western Conference. Keith Yandle has a goal and six points in 11 games and 22 penalty minutes.

PITTSBURGH

Games this week

vs. Ottawa, @ Winnipeg, @ Buffalo

Notes

The Penguins are rested on Wednesday when they host Ottawa who play the Sabres Tuesday. After four points in his first seven games, Chris Kunitz has been white-hot of late with five goals and five assists in his last four games. Of course, a four-goal game does not hurt. Kris Letang missed Thursday’s game with a lower body injury. Consider him day-to-day for now. Marc-Andre Fleury had a so-so start to the season so Tomas Vokoun had a chance to strut his stuff in goal. Fleury has come back with a vengeance, giving the Penguins outstanding goaltending which will bode well for the team. Look for Vokoun to possibly get 18-20 starts barring injuries. Sidney Crosby has 10 points in his last four games including a trio of three point games.

ST. LOUIS

Games this week

vs. Los Angeles, @ Detroit, @ Calgary, @ Vancouver

Notes

The Blues are rested Monday when they host Los Angeles with the Kings playing in Detroit on Sunday. Brian Elliott has not fared well since Jaroslav Halak went down on the weekend as he has given up nine goals in 40 shots over the last two games. Halak was put on injured reserve with a groin injury but could be back this week as he was on the ice Thursday albeit not facing any shots. Wade Redden played in his 1,000th game of his NHL career on Thursday. He has played in six games this season after spending the last two seasons in the minors as the Rangers buried his hefty contract. Vladimir Tarasenko was named the NHL’s rookie of the month after scoring five goals and nine points in seven January games.

SAN JOSE

Games this week

@ Columbus, @ Nashville, @ Chicago

Notes

The Sharks will be rested on Monday when they play in Columbus as the Blue Jackets are hosting the Oilers on Sunday. They are tired Tuesday when they take on the rested Predators. After red-hot starts, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau have been held pointless in their last four games. Coach Todd McLellan moved Marleau to the second line in an effort to get him going. After picking up four points in four games, Martin Havlat has only one point in his last six. Ryane Clowe has yet to score this season but does have five assists and a league-leading 56 penalty minutes.

TAMPA BAY

Games this week

vs. Montreal, vs. Washington, @ Florida

Notes

Vincent Lecavalier has four goals and 11 points this season but is quite feisty when he goes against the Flyers as he has had two fights and 12 of his 14 penalty minutes against Philadelphia. The Lightning only face Philly once more this season, on March 18, so look for Lecavalier to pick up some minutes on that night. Anders Lindback has been playing well for the most part and is 5-3 with a 2.89 GAA and a .906 save percentage but he has lost his last two starts. B.J. Crombeen leads the Lightning with 30 penalty minutes. Martin St. Louis has 13 assists and 16 points in 10 games and even at the age of 37, he continues to produce at an All-Star pace.

TORONTO

Games this week

vs. Philadelphia, @Carolina, vs. Ottawa

Notes

Phil Kessel finally scored on Thursday and it was his first goal in 11 games. He leads the NHL in shots on goal with 46. James Reimer has put his injury-plagued sophomore season behind him and is now 4-3 with a 2.61 GAA and a .918 save percentage. He started the season on the bench but is now the number one goalie. Matt Frattin has been great since a short stint in the minors and has six goals and eight points in eight games. He is playing on the third line with Nazem Kadri but the Maple Leafs are going with a top-nine and not a top-six so do not worry that he is on the third line. The Maple Leafs have been rewarded early in dealing for James van Riemsdyk as he has six goals and has moved to the top line. The Maple Leafs are really missing Carl Gunnarsson and Jake Gardiner on the blueline as both are very good at making the first pass, something that is now lacking on the Toronto defense.

VANCOUVER

Games this week

vs. Minnesota, vs. Dallas, vs. St. Louis

Notes

The Canucks are rested on Tuesday as they face a tired Minnesota team who are in Calgary the previous night. The Canucks continue to have a goaltending problem but this is a good one as both Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider have been very good. Schneider’s agent Mike Liut came out and said that the goaltending situation needs to reach a resolution, which likely meant that he wanted Luongo to be dealt. It was nice to see that Chris Tanev scored the winner on Monday as it was his first NHL goal in 63 career games. Ryan Kesler (shoulder/wrist) could be closer to returning than most thought. Coach Alain Vigneault thinks that he may only need a couple of practices before he is ready to go and Kesler is currently accompanying the Canucks on their road trip. Alexander Edler is tied for the Canucks scoring lead with Daniel Sedin at eight points.

WASHINGTON

Games this week

@ Florida, @ Tampa Bay, @ New York Rangers

Notes

The best thing the Capitals did in the off-season (although it may eventually be drafting Filip Forsberg), was the trade in which they acquired Mike Ribeiro from Dallas. He has four goals and 13 points including goals in his last three games. Ribeiro is one of only 23 NHL players who have averaged .8 points per game in each of the last three years. That stat is courtesy of Brian Rosenbaum. The Capitals are the worst team in the NHL thus far and were not helped out by the shortened training camp as coach Adam Oates hasn’t have enough time to put in his system. Alex Ovechkin is starting to heat up with four points in his last three games.

WINNIPEG

Games this week

vs. Philadelphia, vs. Pittsburgh, vs. Boston

Notes

The Jets will be rested on Tuesday when they face the Flyers who are in Toronto Monday. Look for defensemen Dustin Byfuglien (lower body) and Zach Bogosian (wrist) to return to the Winnipeg lineup this week and that will be welcome news for the Jets netminders. Defenseman Zach Redmond has made the most of the injuries to Byfuglien and Bogosian as he has a goal and two assists in his last two games for the first points in his NHL career. Goaltender Ondrej Pavelec continues to struggle as he has given up 19 goals in his last five games (1-4), stopping only 91 of 110 shots.